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Tuesday, October 08, 2002
THE MORE I KNOW....
the less i seem to understand, or the less conclusive the situation becomes. Its a certain sort of wisdom to expect that the more knowledge is gained about the world, the more u realize that u dont kno much about the workings of the world. I think that people should gain knowledge nonetheless, in order to better formulate the sort of existence that they deem to be fit for them. And thus, there is ongoin debate on abortion, which was brought up in IDS lecture today. Its been a disappointment of mine to possess such little defense for my beliefs. Im glad to have heard this lecture tho, cause they're were some arguments for my case, all reasonably sound and strong. It made sense to me, and its not cause im easily impressionable... contrary to what u think, heh.
Influences from my Catholic background and beliefs that i have cultivated over time lead to that one absolute claim for life. Life is something precious to me, and to preserve life is of utmost importance. Up till now, i havent had much basis on why i believed this way apart from faith-based reasons. But, now i have some philosophical backing to my argument, given by a pretty charismatic philosopher by the name of Dennehey. Hearing that he was a philosopher, my first instinct was that he would be pro-"choice" (why i quoted choice ill explain later), since philosophy and religion have a bad track record w/ each other. It was sort of refreshing to hear that he had arguments against abortion. I've heard many an argument against my stance, and most of what i heard on the defense was from various theologians and such. But, u cant have debate with only one... or else that'll be pretty boring... So, an embryologist by the name of Potts came in, also giving a different view on the pro-choice stance, defining abortion outside the terms of choice. What i was impressed with was that this was a basic academic debate, devoid of any sort of profiling of the debator. In a debate, attacking the character of the debator shows a weak argument. Both sides were defended really well, even tho it did seem like Dennehey was under fire a bit more... and there seemed to be more applause when Potts made a certain statement. I dunno if this is a stretch or not, but i consider this kind of social climate to be a bit of persecution. I always remembered what i heard in youth group one day (i forget when... ), that as a Catholic, persecution will be common, even from fellow christians, and that i had to be prepared for it, to defend my beliefs. If not persecution, then it is a climate that is very unfavorable for beliefs such as mine.
This will be pretty much a one-sided commentary, mostly based upon what i heard from the philosopher. If u disagree with anything, thats fine, its not my place to determine what it is for u to believe. But it does reflect upon what i believe. The big premise behind abortion is that of identity, when does life start in human development. Is it at conception, or somewhere later on? Hearing both sides of the argument today, i think i can come to a resounding conclusion... we dont kno. When can the fetus be regarded as a human being? This can be considered arbitrary, and it is for the most part. So, how can a fetus be regarded as human in one later stage of life, and not a human in some earlier stage of life? There is nothing added, so there shouldnt be a discrepancy. The bigger picture is that abortion is an act against something that can be regarded as human. Sure, it can be considered otherwise, but there is always the possiblity that the fetus is living. Even in this uncertainty, deciding to abort the fetus can be equated to taking a human life. Also, the fetus is a third party, which is why i quoted choice early on. Yes, the fetus is intimately linked w/ the mother, but it is not actually part of the mother's body. There is a difference in dependence and being part of the body. Once egg and sperm are in union, a unique being arises from that union, not the mother or father. Thus, that "right" is not the mother's to begin with. Its a sparse defense, but i believe that there is something that is of greater importance, that is intimately linked w/ this debate....
And that is of human responsibility. Sure, there are instances where the "rightness" of abortion is blurry, extreme cases of rape and incest. That i cannot judge at this point in time, nor can i judge those who have to make those sort of decisions. But, what makes abortion such a horrendous act is what comes before in some cases, cases that come up often that i would like. That is abortion due to irresponsibility. Sexual intercourse, no matter how much pleasure can be derived from it, is designed... and ONLY designed for one thing. It is to create life. That is absolute. Contraceptives, up to a limit, i have no qualms with. Yes, people who want to engage in sex will do so, and contraceptives are a good preventive measure. But... it is not foolproof. Intercourse, even w/ contraceptives, can lead to consequences. There is always that risk. People who take that risk must deal w/ the possible consequences. Those who are too immature or unprepared to deal with it should not be engagin in actions that bring forth new life. This irresponsibility is a dangerous, despicable undertaking. Thats how strongly i feel about it. Yes, we are swamped with a barrage of pop culture, glorifying intercourse, expanding and giving more focus onto it. But, it has the same function as it has ever since humans existed. That wont change. As with most problems that we deal with, solutions can and should be found within the home, within the individual. Responsibility lies within each of us. To take that responsibility is truly admirable.
I dunno if any of this is making any sense anymore, but im goin to stop with a comment of life itself. There is this phenomenon referred to as spontaneous abortion, in which the fertilized egg does not manage to go on w/ development. This happens innumerable times throughout the course of a lifetime. To think that an embryo can survive to develop in the womb, go through w/ development, and create a being like me... its sort of humbling. To think that i may not exist within this world, if something was out of place, one little thing... in this way, every life is precious. It is almost a duty to fulfill this life to the utmost extent. Chance, fate, divine intervention, or maybe a conglomerate of factors, creates unique life. Thats why life is precious, cause it could have been infinitely otherwise. This is ur one shot, make it mean something.
Yea, jus wanted to say something about this, cause i really have thought much on these sorts of subjects. Even tho this might not make the most of sense... its pretty much what i think right now. Well, take care yall, more to come soon. (After the midterm, that is...)
Sunday, October 06, 2002
ITS STILL PERSISTS....
and im not that tired anymore, im gettin used to this kinda stuff. Guess im gettin a little bit stronger? Or, my biological clock is adjusting? In any case, im learning to cope with that which seems overwhelming. Still not at that state which id like to be, a state in which my actions reflect my true being, my true self. Sometimes i look back on the things i did, and i wonder why i did them at all. Other times, i wonder y i didnt take action. In any case, i would like to say that, looking back on the things that i did, i would do w/o hesitation, and be certain that it reflected my true self. To find which doesnt seem to be there...
Well, anyway, theres was still more of the midtermage goin on. Next up on the choppin block was the Chem 3A midterm, something which i have dreaded the past wkend. After pourin over the study materials for a good stretch of time, doin some practice problems, i felt a bit better about the whole situation. Once i finally got the exam, i had a familiar feeling, something which i get on every test. Some of the problems werent too bad, including some that were total review from Chem 1A. And then there were the others... those which make ur face contort in an anguish which can only be described w/ three letters: WTH??? All the material, in essence, was covered in lecture, but in this weird form that u never seen. Theres always those kinda questions. All in all... i dunno what to say. We'll c how it turns out pretty soon...
Then, it was time to unwind... a little bit more than i expected. About the same as if u pulled on a frayed thread on a sweater... and came out w/ a ball of yarn. One was the anime, always the anime. Finished up Chobits... its too short. There were so many possibilities with that series, with all those newly introduced characters. The relationship between Chii and Motosuwa should have been developed a little slower... but what r u goin to do? The last 4 eps were pretty good, the next ep building on the momentum of the next, untill the final ep. The ending was pretty nice, i liked it enough. It was a nice touch to the series... Kinda sad that the series is all done tho... doooh. Well, yea, theres more of the anime. I finally got to watch Hoshi No Koe, and it didnt disappoint one bit. Very nice story, awesome animation, which is even moreso considering the production values that went into it... lets jus say it was a very inventive, intensive effort. The story is of two lovers, separated by insurmountable distance and time, being only able to communicate through cell phone messages. Interesting developments can happen, ehh?? And then, there is one that has intrigued me ever since i saw the 2nd ep. Weird name tho... i dunno what it means. As i mentioned before, its Scryed. Its fast becoming one of my favorite series, right up there w/ Cowboy Bebop and Trigun.... well, i like them in different ways. Guess i get really into the characters within the story, and Scryed is no exception. A good story which boasts complex characters is one that i watch with vigor. I dont really like a clear-cut good/evil sort of dichotomy, cause within each of us lurks a certain sort of demon. And within each one of us burns a light which can be found in the greatest darkness. Thats what hooked me to Scryed. Once i had a character figured out, he/she shows me this hidden dimension which i havent seen before. After all, humans are dynamic, ever-changing. Not to mention the main protagonist rocks. Yea, he kinda reminds me of me... if i had a rocket-powered Alter arm... well, scratch that. He embodies a certain ideal for me. Heres a quote that illuminates a bit on this ideal:
"Im not afraid of death. Im afraid to die w/o doing anything."
Sadly to say, i still have that sort of fear. Courage is something that i havent found in large doses. Hopefully i can find that strength, within my convictions, and w/ the help of those around me... well, anyway, yea, Scryed is good, very good. And as always, theres the wushu. Only 1 month left b4 collegiates....
If u are wondering, the midtermage isnt over yet. I get a reprieve after this Tues. Next up on the choppin block, Phys 8B midterm. Real fun, oh yea... Take care yall, more to come soon, maybe something w/ a little more substance... hehe.
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